Hello all. First post in the C4 forum I believe. Sold my C5 a few months ago because I never got to drive it and had considerable money wrapped up in it.

Fast forward to Nov. 2nd, bump into an old friend at a funeral. I ask him if his dad still has his '93 Vette. (Father bout it back in '96) He does but he's not doing well health wise. His father told him to take it and trade it in on the new Jeep Wrangler he ordered. Apparently they offered him next to nothing for it. So I offered to buy it and we struck a deal.

The car runs great, 124K miles, auto. It's not exactly fast compared to the C5's I've owned but it runs well. Cosmetically, it's a mess. It's been repainted but it was a terrible job. Paint is lifting and peeling. It also has some panel fitment issues where the hood meets the door. Interior is also rough.

Anyone care to share what they spent on a repaint? And what kind of condition your car was in prior to the repaint. I know these cars come apart relatively easily so I may also consider a color change. (Currently black with black interior). So any input on the color change is also appreciated.

Thanks.

 

no help with the paint. but look at my seat post $249 for both leather seat covers.

 

I hate to break it to you but a quality paintjob will be way more than the car is worth. Add in a color change and you could easily top $10k. Before someone says you can do it much cheaper, you can, but it will not hold up. From what you describe the car has to be completely stripped and refinished. You could do some of the labor yourself, but it will still be costly.

 

I know it adds up very quickly. Just trying to get a feel for what others have paid and what they started with.

 

I have worked in the auto body industry for over 30 years and so I will share a few thoughts on how I would approach your situation.

From your description of the vette I would look at doing all the prep work yourself which if you can would include de trimming and wet sanding the car. I would then take in to a shop like Maaco and get it resprayed with a good quality clear coat. I would not change color and I would leave the bumper covers on the car. By following this basic idea I would think you will pay around $ 1000.00 to $ 1500.00 to get sprayed with their materials. From the sounds of it this is about where you need to stay at for cost to keep from getting buried in the car.

I would then keep the car parked inside as much as possible or under a good quality car cover if the car has to sit outside at your house-this will help to keep your medium quality paint looking good for as long as possible.

Keep in mind the key to prep work is sanding all the 2nd paint job material off as possible and really scrubbing all the edges as best as possible. I would also have them prime any areas that are of concern and put a good quality seal coat on first.

Congrads on your new to you vette and good luck with your project. Wherever you decide to get painted if you are able to sand out yourself I would get with their painter and ask how he or she would recommend you sand out including grits of paper used etc.

 

Do it yourself for the cost of materials. Eastwood has some good products. Here is the first of a set of videos by Forum member Flyboy91.
You can buy an air compressor off Craigslist for a reasonable price.

 

I am in the middle of a nut and bolt resto
Look up
Starting the tear down for paint
My paint (Poh) cost 3k
Plus 4 k to paint it (by a mate )
Total spent so far $35k with out cost of car
But in Australia so a bit less in your dollars
Mine need a bit of body work
U need to take off the bars to get a good job as u can't get the strips off the bars on the car
And that's where u will have an issue

God luck

Dale

 

KEEPING THIS IN MIND, Aussie dollars are very close to US. dollars in worth. I personally, would keep the car the same color for resale value and a lot of folks like black vettes, second to perhaps ,the red ones. Best of luck and welcome to the world of C-4s

 

I have priced paint jobs for my 89 , which needs no body work, just paint prep , which I would do myself..Depending on who does the work , I have had prices from $4,000 to $5,000 for a standard street quality paint job, if I want a "show" quality paint job its closer to $7,000 -$9,000..These prices are for my area, where you live makes a differance...WW

PS..You could always just do like on the tv show "Fast and Loud" and just leave the paint as it is and clearcoat the car...I believe they refer to this as "Patina"...

 

Sarasota Fl Bright Red 92 coupe

Needed paint job badly. Retiree. Priced job at primo body shop that has repaired/painted my cars 20 years...at least $5K......Owner suggested I try MAACO, saying he was prior vette owner, and they could do a good job. ..... I was not entirely convinced.

My targa top was also split beyond repair...found as badly scratched but otherwise intact top at a junk yard for $250.
Took it to MAACO, and owner agreed to multi coat repaint for $150. Told him I would do entire car if Wife (designer) approved targa redo.

Outcome: Excellent......Redid entire car for $1500...looks great 6 mos later....Owner says Maaco jobs reflect pride of franchise owner in finished product....Find a good shop and lurk around at their work

just my 2cents

 

a 93 with 124K, in rough condition - personally i'd pass unless you can get it for $2000 - $3000, and at that, i'd consider maaco.

 

So many potentially nice cars are left to rot because of the cost of repainting. This is really sad. Unless a vehicle is almost new it's no longer worth repairing collision damage or getting a new paint job.

I wonder how much wraps cost.

Rick

 

i'm thinking wraps aren't cheap either, but i'm thinking you need a decent base to start with anyway. as far as the repaint, , but it doesn't make good sense to invest 10K in a 3K car only to bring it's value up to 5K. maaco makes a lot of sense here.

 

It would be a good idea to look thru the Body/Paint section of the Forum. There are some people who post there that are painters and they have posted up some good ideas and you will find dollar amounts too.

That section can even provide some tips on what you may be able to do yourself. As mentioned, prep work is the key to a good paint job. It can take time to do, but remember labor charges are a good part of having a paint job done. If you think of your own time doing some basic prep is "free" that can help with the cost.

Figure on $5000 to $7000 for a decent paint job in the same color. Black will be more labor intensive on the finishing side as black has a tendency to show imperfections in the body as well as how it was sprayed on. If the repaint was poor work, then you will be looking at removing all of that paint job.

A color change can add a lot more to the cost of a paint job. Lots more sanding, removal of body pieces, and extra masking add to the cost.

You didn't mention if you were going to bring the interior back, but you may want to look thru the various vendor here for prices on replacement interior components. For example, new seats with foam can easily top $1000. Add another few hundred for carpet. Is the weatherstripping bad? Complete replacement for parts alone can run close to a grand.

Even though the car runs good, how are the brakes? At that mileage, the shock may be gone, suspension bushings are probably dried out and maybe cracking. What about basic maintenance; coolant fresh? brake fluid clear? Is the auto trans fluid a bright red and no smell? Tires fairly new? No cracks in the tread or signs of dry rotting?

All of this adds up. Add the purchase cost of the car, and you may be better off looking for a later year C4 that's in better condition.

 

I looked into wraps and vvivid looked good and have some sale kits very cheap. I did my top in artist carbon fiber looks great cost me about $50 but found out I do not have the skill to do the car yet. many videos but not up to it.

 

I would much rather get a car with a nice paint job that needs mechanical work, then one that needs paint and is mechanical perfect..I've always been good at fixing mechanics , not so good a body and paint..Let's face it, you can put a new motor and trans into a car for the price of a decent paint job......WW

 

I'd consider maaco too, unless the car will never be sold and will be babied. Me personally would never spend so much money the way mine would be driven, just my .02 cents!

 

x2!!!
and never ever buy a car in primer..esp at dusk

Had a buddy that had his C3 sprayed at One day after prepping it himself, was around 1500 or so....many yrs ago. Told me about it I kinda laughed. Let it sit a few weeks, paid 2 guys that worked there a sum of $400 total to come out to his house, color sand and buff gotta say the car looked fantastic (red), the paint sold the car quick. From what I hear the paint didnt hold up but a handful of yrs but for that kind of money cant expect much else.


OP car sounds like it is rough inside and out....they are about as pricy to fix up as the C5...unless you got it for almost free cut your losses and dump it.
Did the super expensive body shop thing, well went through a few of them and still never got done...never again. Maaco route + colorsand and drive the beans out of it. Meeting the painter (and letting him know youll tip for a good job) helps

 

Maybe it's a Florida thing, got my car repainted at a local shop (http://www.attitudecustompainting.com/) with very good reviews on their work for $2400... my paint was not in bad shape except for the rear bumper clear being shot, the red having faded some, and bug stains in the hood/nose. I did some prep work as far as removing the side mirrors (it's the worst part), tails (2nd worst), side front fender panels, and the under door kick plates. Nose and bumper stayed on, all trim was taped up.

Came out excellent and that was 2 years ago and it still looks brand new.

PIC

 

The hot number for DIY is "Plastidip". Personally I put it in there with rattle can flat black but like I said, its the hot number right now. Check out the site.